25 Days, No Facebook

 

I gave up Facebook for Lent.

I figured that I spend too much time on it and decided that for 40 days, I would stay away from it.

Has it been hard? Of course it has. 

Life just isn't the same when you can't poke your friends or like the fact that some distant friend from high school "just got out of a speeding ticket by offering to buy the cop a coffee at Starbucks lol."

Still, here's what I've learned about my social networking habits so far:

1.) People who have something interesting or significant to say will tell me via text, email, phone or my favorite--Hallmark card. :-)
I'm thrilled that I haven't been left out of big news like engagements, new babies and professional developments just because I'm abstaining from Facebook. Fortunately, I've been kept in the loop by people who care to inform me of these milestones.

2.) It also works the other way around. 

I call, text, or email people who I actually care to update about my oh so exciting life. (I guess I can also add blogging to that list.)

3.) I only remember important people's birthdays when I don't have Facebook to remind me.
In the time I've been away from Facebook, I think I've sent birthday greetings to two people. To everyone else--my bad.

4.) I'm really not missing much.

I feel no void because I'm staying away from Facebook. Do I miss seeing pictures? Yes. But I'm also pretty sure that the ones that people use to update their bbm profile pictures aren't so different from the ones they're putting on Facebook. They're just smaller. Besides, I've just realized that most of the people I'm friends with on Facebook are periphery friends. The ones who matter most are the ones who, like I said, still email, call, text...

5.) I spend way too much time on Facebook.

Now that I'm not on the site, I realize how much more time I have to do other things...like email, call, text...Aside from that, I'm almost almost at the halfway point of my New Years Resolution.

And plus, there's nothing quite like being able to see people in person. Facebook may have the power to bring people together, but it also tempts them to stay apart...

Maybe this giving up Facebook thing isn't such a bad idea. I wonder if anyone has even realized I've been gone...